Agenda for today’s meeting is available here: []
President Jianan Shi gives mic to Principal Douglas Maclin of Chicago Vocational Career Academy. This is his 13th year as principal, also the longest-serving for the school.

Principal Maclin shares his dedication, acknowledges Alder Harris, and the $5.4million and lobby assistance for a school-based health clinic that also serves the broader community of the Southeast Side.

Alder Harris comes to speak next to thank the city and the community. She’s very invested and loves the community. She thanks Doug Maclin, for standing in the space even though he didn't have to. She profusely thanks staff and hopes to continue to funnel resources into the ward.

From Jones College Prep, a teacher named Charlie Mills passed away earlier this month. Mills had been part of the Jones school community for 25+ years, supporting students and staff wholeheartedly. The school and community mourns the loss of Charlie and honors his memory.

For this month’s Honoring Excellence section of the meeting, the board addresses the Far South Side CAC (Community Action Council). Far South Side CAC lists parent engagement as catalyst for change.

Top 3 needs: 1) community engagement, 2) funding, 3) specific funding. Results from principal surveys show to be in line with research, that regardless of socioeconomic status, parental involvement leads to increased results and improved student outcomes.

Additional funding for underperforming schools would provide equity if distributed directly to classrooms and to supply *new academic programs.

Member Rudy Lazano, supports the Far South CAC, stating that their role is critical and vital to the community’s success. He takes a moment to remember the late Dr. Joyce Chapman, former Board Member, and hopes to follow by her example on the mission for equity and justice.

VP, Elizabeth Todd-Breland enthusiastically shares her experience with students from Altgeld Gardens from earlier in the day, being amazed and inspired at the demonstration of student voices.

The student-generated plan for the community includes a mural of Cheryl Johnson, mother of environmental justice, who was the executive director of People for Community Recovery.

The students have been working with partnerships with the Field Museum and CTA, and have built an entire replica of their community, in preparation of the red line extension. Todd-Breland states that the students, their work and their visions are truly transformational.

Chief Education Officer, Bogdana Chkoumbova, begins with her remarks: celebrates our assistant principals and clerks in CPS schools. They play a huge role in creating welcome scenes in schools, and hopes they felt appreciated this month.

The district recently held its second annual Mental Health Summit at Malcolm X College to remove stigmas around mental health and social-emotional health and stress. Many workshops were student-led, and she also thanks the Office of Student Health and Wellness for their support.

Pre-K applications are now open, and schools have received nearly 75,000 applications. Chicago has expanded for free full day Pre-K, which is open for students aged 4. Offers will be sent out by Wednesday May 22, and rolling offers will start on May 23.

Many students celebrated Earth Day, which included landscape enhancement, incorporating art, decorating planters, planting trees and hosting clean up projects around the neighborhood.

With a once-in-generation chance to witness the total solar eclipse on April 8th, educators also incorporated solstice-related teachings like geometric equations, literature, and physics.

Chief Executive Officer Martinez, starts by thanking thousands of parents who came out for parent-teacher conferences and casting local school council votes. In such a large district, it's important to vote. They think opening up the application date to 6 weeks earlier helped.

The board is still counting votes, but should be ~90% filled in by July 1, and informed everyone that there are still some open seats, and encouraged all to apply. The board will continue to hold ongoing community forums, appreciate valuable feedback, and urge ppl to attend.

Martinez brings up a sensitive topic: bus drivers. He acknowledges the bus driver shortage, says the Board is looking into extending pickup locations, adjusting bell times, and helping drivers obtain commercial driver's license, and waiving special requirements for buses.

The Board raised bus driver wages to $27/hour, included signing bonus, flexible schedules, and have started recruiting new drivers at 50+ job fairs. They understand the issues for buses and will provide monthly updates.

Update for budgets: the new model claims to be simpler, and creates a foundational standard for educational support and staff, such as assistant principal, council, and holistic teachers. This is in addition to using district’s opportunity index and flexible discretionary funds.

For decades, advocates have protested school inequity. This change shows that the board values community feedback. With fewer students and fewer resources, funding should not be based solely on the number of students.

Equity before enrollment. These school budgets will be felt by students on the south and west sides. Budget does not cut funding, despite the projected deficit. The new model prioritizes existing resources.

President Jianan Shi explains that, understandably, LSCs are grappling with a new budget model. Board acknowledges the uneasiness of budget and may need to make adjustments, while responding to individual school’s remarks.

The board will be looking for positions like counselors and restorative justice budgets. While principals and LSC’s are working through, this year will be shifting away from student-based budgeting and instead be based on students needs.

Situating the budget within a larger financial context, the Board is already in a billion dollar deficit. Pandemic dollars are gone, so now they are in a world of tradeoffs. As CPS makes decisions, they all advocate for more funding.

Committee Updates, Fay Hughes with updates on the Special Education Advisory Committee.
Respondents wished for the name to be easy to remember and reflect the work of the office.
Next meeting will be May 8th in Belmont Cragin.

Announcements by Jianan Shi. Next year’s application for Honorary Student Board Members has extended its deadline to Friday May 10. Honorary Student Board Member, Kate Lynn Shaw, shares her positive experience and urges students across the district to just apply for the position.

Regarding next meetings: Agenda review committee review meeting is May 13, next board meeting is May 23rd.

Questions/Comments are opened for public agenda items.

VP Elizabeth Todd-Breland, shares discomfort at outsourcing education for vulnerable students, but addresses the deadline for the budget. For summer, she requests clarity for options redesign and to come back to this question of outsourcing education.

There is now a vote on public agenda items, which all pass. TIme is now allotted for public commentary.

Crystal Williams, of Chicago Teachers Union, speaks on the importance of Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRPs). In her own life, her daughters are 3rd generation PSRPs. PSRPs are often the first source of contact for students.

She invites the board to visualize a future where all students are supported by staff devoted to social and emotional learning, who are greeted by name and don't have to worry about wifi being down or Chromebooks not up to date.

These employees were acknowledged as essential during COVID, but when schools closed, the Board attempted to privatize these positions.

“Now, here we are again, having to defend our jobs and our purpose. Initial proposed budgets by CPS leadership will cut back, even eliminate vital care, professional positions in our schools.”

“Even given that there is a national PSRP shortage…We cannot sacrifice these vital staffpeople because they truly help make the difference in schools and the lives of our students.”

CTU teachers saw how student-based budget cuts fostered student disparity. In the new budgets, CPS leadership severely undercounted needs for teacher assistance. “CTU will not standby and allow CPS to steal from one underfunded school and give it to another underfunded school.

“There is no way we can achieve what our students deserve unless additional state and federal funding are invested in Chicago Public Schools.”

Next speaker is Jen Conant, CTU-ACTS Chair who brings up 4 concerns: 1) Charter accountability is changing to assessing only academic performance, disregarding the previously included assessments of financial and operational performances.

Individualizing the metric means that there is no standard, which is concerning. These standards would also not be public, which is also problematic.

While acknowledging CPS’ efforts, the new funding structure will not apply to charter space, which will continue to have student-based budgeting but under a different name, still maintaining that structure, which harms alternative schools.

Changes in location. Like YCLA, other charters are also interested in moving locations, wondering if moves are based on affordability or student needs? Does CPS help partner with charter holder schools? Instability isn't good for students.

management structures of alternative schools, more money needs to go into the classrooms and not into administration.

Public commentary continues with registered speakers from the speaker list. Speaker 1, Dr. Angel Alvarez: CPS has made mistakes for lack of transparency and are currently not being transparent for funding proposals with the budget formula.

He references Page 35, middle column, to the report that Harvard and Stanford used, stating that their conclusions are inaccurate. Stanford claims that CPS students suffered 2.5X learning loss prior to the pandemic than between 2019-2022. Alvarez claims this is insulting.

Findings are inaccurate due to poor statistical modeling. He says to release the projections, and be more accountable.

Speaker 2, Kimberly Johnson, asking the board to listen. She has been at CPS for 28+ years, and was just told that her position are phasing out. They are parents/counselors. She had never taken her job for granted.

‘We need everyone in place, but it won't come at the expense of pushing my peers out of a job either.’

Speaker 3, Ebony Durham, thanks the board for coming to the South Side. She is representing the Great Lakes Caregivers, and shares her encouragement from the voices of parents and community members.

Speaker 4 from Noble Schools, rising senior Cecil M., urges that voting matters, and wishes to teach young people the importance of presidential voting.

Speaker 5, Abril Green, of Noble Schools speaks on the unique opportunity, privileged, refuses to sugarcoat the realities of the future. She is excited about new voters and Noble graduates, as they are prepared, propelled, and promised a brighter future.

Speaker 5, Jasmine Brown, on October 25, 2023 found her son unresponsive at Marshall High School and has received no response from CPS regarding any of her inquiries for justice.

Earlier this week, she received an email from her son's school stating that she was not allowed on campus and she would be arrested if she was.

As an elected member of the LSC for Marshall High School, this feels like retaliation. She mentions Terrance Lane, who is being paid out of the special education budget while working in administration capacity. The schools are in corruption w/ ppl who don't even reside in Chicago

She reminds again that she has been asking for support for 6+ months since October 25th, 2023, and she has been asking for results and not to be ignored.

At this point, tech support has cut the audio as audience members applaud behind her and another person has lowered the mic.

At 7:05 pm, the board meeting visual was cut to the Board of Education seal. This lasts ~5 seconds and then the next speaker is shown on screen.

Speaker 6, Mitsi Moore, parent of elementary and middle school students in Chicago Lawn. As a former student of Maria, the building was given to Catalyst to operate a charter school.

She appreciates and admires staff in their interactions with her children, one of whom is an introvert and the other diagnosed with ADHD. The teachers go above and beyond to help and she feels as if her children are thriving.

Speaker 7, Erin S. Begins by referencing Jasmine Brown’s earlier demands, stating no mother should have to go through that. [ignored while requesting information regarding child’s health and safety]

Admissions cause segregation, but it's also due to lack of bussing. For students whose families can't afford to pickup/dropoff their kids, cutting bussing creates less diversity. She demands that the budget formulas be made public.

Speaker 8 is Tomas Lobato, a bilingual special education Pre-K teacher at Sadlowki Elementary. Lobato states that PreK are the only teachers to go through additional evaluations.

During his evaluation, the evaluator said only engagements in English would be tracked and he asked if he was just supposed to ignore his Spanish speaking students? The observer repeated the statement that only ‘engagements in English would be tracked’.

He used guided reading questions directly from the PreK creative curriculum and still received low scores. He urges the board to change evaluation techniques because they are not indicative of formula and detrimental to teacher morale.

This is also detrimental to dual-language learning efforts and shows that evaluators are not held to the same pedagogical standards.

Speaker 11, Kevin Moore, Social Studies teacher in George Washington High School is a member of CTU and advocates partnership for affordable housing for students and members. In 7 years of teaching, he's seen the negative effects of unhoused students and their growth.

Number of unhoused students has doubled since last year, and they are in dire and immediate need of support.

Moore addresses other avenues like rental assistance, repurposing vacant lots, using TIF funds and dedicating a percentage for students in temporary housing, the goal is not to alleviate, it is to eliminate. Housing is equity.

Speaker 16 is Jordan K, dance teacher at Disney Magnet school. As a first year teacher, she is struggling with students with no housing. She speaks of a student who is frustrated by larger problems, misses opportunities, and instead wanders the halls.

STLS (Students in Temporary Living Situations) must be included in school funding. Students need stable housing to be able to learn, and deserve to have devoted resources.

Speaker 18, Lisa of Nicholson Elementary. She states that in her school, there are over 175 students that need housing. Students deserve permanent affordable housing. Shelters are a temporary fix and not a solution. She urges the board and CTU to work together on homelessness.

Speaker 21, Dr Dianne Castro, argues against recent class evaluations: National Louis conducting class evaluations and is disappointed that it was not conveyed to them. The evaluations made class redundant, and outsourcing classes was not necessary.

The observers sometimes do not show up and teachers with advanced degrees are seeing lower instructional scores. Castro states disappointment as the board has voted to outsource them.

Speaker 9, Alex R, teacher who is noticing that SCLS students are rising. He worked closely with students and noticed that the STLS students were struggling the most, and heard students’ stories of eviction. ‘We can't feasibly expect our students to be concerned about a grade.’

As a district, we are behind, and stresses the importance of asking that the city fund affordable housing units around schools, and convert vacant school buildings into affordable housing.

Speaker 22, Angelica H., comes to the board as a parent facing significant budget cuts. Reduction does not align with the needs of the students. Any interruption will lead to significant detriment to the students and disastrous outcomes.

Regarding the school’s existing funds of $769,000, these funds are not allocated, and requests for them to be reinstated to ensure program continuation.

Speaker 26, Mia D., mother and LSC president for Newfield Elementary School. Request for a collaborative method to welcome newcomers. Request was sent to the board for a strategic plan for how to accommodate. Another ask is for a collaborative and centralized approach.

Speaker 10, William Guo, joins virtually, brings up the problematic significant discrepancy between reported and actual gains of student achievement, from the IAR and NOS as provided by an independent study by Harvard and Yale analyzing data.

Like Alvarez (speaker 1), Guo found improbable claims that CPS students lost over 2.5X more learning from 2017-2019 than they did during the pandemic. Comparison of data suggests that CPS test scores decrease as CPS prepandemic spendings increased, which is not supported by IAR.

“It is concerning that such gross errors and analysis are evident using questions about the accuracy and integrity of deeper leadership…We suggest the board take a thorough review of its educational policies, budgetary practices and data analysis procedures."

"We owe it to our students, parents and community to ensure that every decision we make is grounded with accurate information and serves the best interest of our learners."

Speaker 12, Marie N., 11th year educator in Humboldt Park, and newly elected LSC member in 26th ward asks for community voice through 2 way communication 1) learn from Maclin and Harris about coalition building, asking for a summary report of this meeting

and 2) asking for increased conversation through these meetings.

Speaker 13, Jacquelin, English network specialist, along with colleagues who wish to join Chicago Teachers Union. As a specialist, they have 30-60 schools at elementary and high school level, for multilingual education approaches and shared goals and interests.

This is a high demand, and helps them advocate equitable bilingual programs [which are required by law]. This will be a part of negotiations, asking them to expedite the process.

Speaker 14, Yverres, of Acero Charter School. She is very enthusiastic and dedicated to Acero.

Speaker 20, Sandy G, parent of a student at Acero Charter School. Student is a transfer, she felt welcomed by teachers and leadership. School has been an affiliate of UnidosUS, largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization for over 20+ years.

Speaker 15, Jade M, former CPS student and mom of 2 CPS students. She demands that George Washington High School needs a new state of the art building. For 15 years, they grew up in places where the water was unsafe, the air was unsafe and had to mitigate toxins.

Schools have been economic and budgetary collateral damage. CPS students have been overlooked because their kids are not worth it due to long overdue upgrades.

Families deserve safe spaces to thrive together, and they can start by funding a new green space for George Washington High School and correct decades of environmental racism by providing solar panels, green pathways, and student run produce gardens.

Speaker 24, Ann F, CTU member is a middle school science teacher in Brighton Park. She strongly urges stable and affordable housing, and that these topics belong in the CTU contracts as well. Great students disappear due to being priced out of neighborhoods.

She states that the board supports housing and supports rent control and should overwhelmingly work towards it because it affects the students.

This year, there has been an influx of Venezuelan student additions to the community, who are also frequently absent, which has a detrimental effect. Many cities have already passed legislation tying housing to schools, and it's time that Chicago addressed its homelessness issue.

Speaker 19 is Liz W, 25-year veteran teacher in CPS. Benito Juarez is in the industrial part of Pilsen, which includes a nearby looming defunct smokestack and across is a dumpster recycling container facility. The air becomes dark, dank, and stale, leading to air quality issues.

She wishes for the Board and CTU to consider more for its schools.

Speaker 23, Kimberly, representing Youth Connections Charter School. In operation since 1997, the school is moving to a new building. At the new location, they have additional facilities like science and athletics which will offer an opportunity to increase their capacity.

Speaker 25, Jennifer Jones, PreK teacher at Stowe Elementary School came to speak against the National Louis amendment. Assessors began assessing her at obscure times and demanded a robotic set of actions. Additionally, it is mathematically impossible to be assessed for 4 cycles.

Coaches and early childhood specialists are concerned about timings and the eligibility of assessors themselves.

She shares that she will likely receive coaching next year, which has nothing to do with improving teacher performance. It is about teaching teachers how to do better, and voting on it before they heard from teachers was a bad choice.

Speaker 27, Chinella, LSC, shares recommendations. Regarding the feedback survey, the LSCs don’t have the capacity to produce a fair or democratic election process. In some cases, candidate forums were not held and student elections were held outside of hours.

From 2020 survey, “I heard nothing about LSC’s anywhere…”
From 2024 survey, “None of the alderman included this in their newsletter. There is no advertisement or engagement…”

Speaker asks CPS to adopt some practices: a streamlined 1 stop shop for all LSCs and schools. Stakeholders expressed that some schools didn't show voter eligibility, demanding overhaul of judge training and to formally consult the Chicago Board of Elections for proper training.

Speaker 28, guest teacher, shares experience with student Jay, who moved 6+ times and dropped out. There are over 24,000 students who do not have a permanent place to sleep at night. What happened to him was an atrocity, and the system ultimately failed him.

The Board of Education should provide unbridled support, access TIF funds that prevent homelessness, and include transitional spaces for CPS students that are in between homes. Students deserve a place to shower, eat, and sleep. Do the right thing and follow the CTU proposal.

Speaker 30, Camille Ivy, Principal of YCLA, happy to show support for relocation for the school. Relocation will be more of a permanent solution, newly refurbished, and is spacious to expand enrollment.

Alderman Lopez is a frequent visitor, and YCLA plans to be in the community and reach out to local businesses. This concludes public participation.

Meeting is adjourned at 8:06 PM.